Sealed combustion wall heater



Jan. 2, 1968 G. L. HERSHEY SEALED COMBUSTION WALL HEATER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 2, 1966 FIG. 2

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Jan. 2, 1968 G. L. HERSHEY 3,

SEALED COMBUSTION WALL HEATER Filed Sept. 2, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.

INVENTOR: v GERALD L. HERSHEY United States Patent Ofiice 3,3hl,l25 Patented Jan. 2, 1968 3,361,125 SEALED CUIl/illllld'llQN WALL HEATER Gerald L. Hershey, Wichita, Kane, assignor to The Coleman Company, Luca, Wichita, KiillS., a corporation of Kansas Filed Sept. 2, 1966, Ser. No. 576,384 it) (Claims. (til. 126-115) This invention relates to a sealed combustion wall heater, and more particularly to the mounting and arrangement of the radiator casing and combustion air supply duct with respect to each other and with respect to the heater casing. While the present invention has particular utility in Wall heaters or furnaces, such as those installed in a wall recess, the invention can be applied to other types of heaters or furnaces which are designed to operate as sealed combustion units, and which have the flue pipe and air intake pipe extending through the ceiling or root.

Since wall heaters operate in close proximity to the living space, the quietness of operation of such heaters is a prime consideration. The internal components of the heater, such as the combustion chamber, the radiator or heat exchanger, the combustion air supply duct, etc. are subjected to frequent cycles or" heating and cooling. These cycles cause differential expansion or contraction of the heater components, which can cause metal distortion, either by expansion or contraction, and lead to an excessively noisy operation. In this connection, the design of scaled combustion wall heaters presents a particular problem, since the components which are directly heated by the combustion and flue gas are subject to expansion and contraction at a different rate than those components which are subjected to direct cooling by the incoming combustion air. For example, the combustion air supply duct will tend to expand at a diiierent rate and to a lesser extent at the start of the heating cycle than the radiator casin and flue outlet pipe. Furthermore, all of these members will expand at dilferent rates and to different extents than the heater casing which encloses the room air heating space. Nevertheless, all of these elements must be interconnected and supported to provide the desired seal-type combustion, wherein the combustion air duct which supplies outside air, as well as the combustion chamber, radiator, and flue pipe, are hermetically sealed and separated from the room air heating space, thereby avoiding any interchange between the room air, the combustion air, or combustion gases.

It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide a sealed combustion wall heater of novel design and configuration which substantially overcomes the problem of undue noise produced by the differential expansion and contraction of the internal components of the heater. More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel means for mounting and supporting a combustion chamber and radiator casing and a combustion air supply duct in a sealed combustion wall heater where the flue pipe and air supply pipe extend upwardly from the top of the heater through the ceiling or the roof. Further objects, ad vantages, and results will be indicated in the following detailed specification.

This invention is shown in an illustrative embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a wall heater embodying the features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the upper portion of the internal components of the Wall heater of FIG. 1 showing the relation between the combustion air supply duct and the flue outlet;

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional plan View of the heater taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FlG. 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the heater showing the supporting of the radiator casing;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detailed view of the right hand support bracket of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional plan view taken on line ee of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary detailed elevational view of the left hand support bracket.

Looking first at FIG. 1, there is shown a wall heater of the sealed combustion type having a vertically-extending enclosure casing means designated generally by the number ltl, which surrounds a room air heating space designated generally by the number ill. In the illustration given, casing It includes a top panel or wall 12, rear panel 13, side panels l t and 15 (FIG. 3), and front panel to. If desired, a bottom panel or wall 17 may also be provided. The front panel means 16 is provided with a room air inlet means in the lower portion and a heated air outlet means in the upper portion. In the illustration given, the room air inlet means consists of an opening 18 provided with louvers 1%, while the heated air outlet means consists of an opening 20 provided with louvers 21. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, top panel 32 is provided with an opening 22 which is alignable with a flue connection, as will subsequen ly be described in greater detail.

Within enclosure casing ill and in spaced relation thereto, there is provided vertically-extending radiator casing means designated generally by the number 23. The lower portion of the casing 23, as indicated at 24,. provides a combustion chamber, while the intermediate portion, as indicated at 25, provides a heat exchanger. The upper portion of radiator casing 23 provides a flue outlet opening 26. In the illustration given, opening 26 is on the rear side of the upper portion of radiator casing 25.

A flue tube, designated generally by the number 27, has its lower end portion connected to the flue outlet opening 26. Flue tube 27 includes an upper verticallyextending section 28, which extends through opening 22 of top panel 12, shown more clearly in FIG. 2. In the illustration given, due tube 2'7 includes a lower horizontallyextending section 29 which extends into opening 26 and is sealed to radiator casing 23 by Welding as indicated in FIG. 1.

Combustion air supply pipe means, designated generally by the number 30, receives and is spaced from the upper portion 23 of the flue tube means 27. In the illustration given, the air supply pipe means 3t is in the form of a pipe 31 which is concentric with a flue pipe 32. The lower end of pipe 31 snugly receives with a sliding fit the connector collar 33 and which thereby forms a downward extension of pipe 31. Flue pipe 32 snugly receives with a sliding fit the upper end of flue tube 27. These connections are shown more clearly in FIG. 2.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the air supply pipe means fill, or more specifically the collar extension 33, extends through the top panel opening 22 in slip-free relation to the top panel 12. Preferably, as shown, a slight clearance is provided between the inner edge of panel 12 around opening 22 and the outside of sleeve pipe 33. The purpose and advantage of this construction will be described more specifically below.

In accordance with the present invention, there is also provided duct means within casing ill which extends between the lower end of the air supply pipe means 3t and the lower portion 24 of the radiator casing. In FIG. 1, the duct means is designated generally by the number 34. It includes an upper portion 35 which extends around the flue tube seection 28 in slip-free relation thereto, and is shown more clearly in FIG. 2. Advantageously, as shown,

upper portion 35 may comprise a horizontally-extending transition box including a bottom wall 36 and a top wall 37. As shown in FIG. 2, top wall 37 provides an opening 38 which connects to the air supply pipe means 30. In the illustration given, top wall 37 includes an upwardly turned flange portion 39 around opening 33, which flange portion is sealed to the lower end of connector sleeve 33 by seam welding.

The rearward portion of bottom wall 36, as shown in FIG. 2, provides an opening 48 which connects to a downwardly extending portion 41 of duct means 254. In the illustration given, bottom wall 35 provides an upwardly turned flange 42 around opening 44 which flange is sealed to the upper end of duct section 41 by arc welding.

Bottom 36 of box 35 forwardly of opening at! provides an opening 43 in vertical alignment with top wall opening 38. As shown in PEG. 2, flue tube section 23 extends through the aligned openings 13 and 38. in accordance with the present invention, flue tube 28 is in slip-free relation with box 35, and more particularly with bottom wall 36 and top wall 37 thereof. Preferably, as shown, a slight clearance is provided between the edge of bottom wall 36 surrounding opening 43 and the outside of flue tube section 28. The purpose and advantage of this con struction will also be further described below.

In the illustration given, the rear wall of combustion chamber portion 24- provides an air inlet opening 44, as shown in FIG. 1. The lower portion of air supply duct means 34- comprises a horizontally-extending pipe section 45, which has its forward end received within opening 44 and sealed to combustion chamber casing portion 24 by arc welding. The rearward end of pipe section 45 is received within an opening 46 in the forward wall of vertically extending duct section 41, and is sealed to the forward wall by arc welding. As shown more clearly in FIG. 3, the vertically-extending duct section it may be formed of two complementary members 41a and 411) which are united by seam welding. A vertically-extending radiation batfle 47 may be mounted by spot welding on the outer extensions of 41a and 411) as shown in FIG. 3.

To accomplish the objects of the present invention, suitable mounting means is provided extending between the enclosure casing means and the radiator casing means 23. Preferably, the mounting means is in a position adjacent to the lower combustion chamber-providing portion 24. By providing mounting means which is carried by the enclosure casing and connected to the radiator casing lower portion, not only the radiator casing 23 but also the air supply duct means 34 may be supported in such a way that they are free to expand upwardly or contract downwardly at diiferential rates. Conveniently, the mounting means may comprise brackets, such as the brackets 4-8 and 49, which are detachably connected to the lower corner portions of the radiator casing 23. The position of the bracket 2$ as shown in FIG. 1, and the relation of the brackets to the radiator casing are shown more clearly in FIGS. 47.

As shown more clearly in FIG. 6, radiator casing 23 may be conveniently formed from complementary sections 23a and 23b which unite around their peripheries to form a peripheral flange St the sections being united by seam welding along flange St to provide a hermetically sealed casing. The lower corner portions of flange 5'0 provide convenient points for the mounting and attachment of support brackets 48 and 49, as indicated in FIG. 4. In the illustration given, the side panels 14 and (see FIGS. 3 and 6), include baffle or liner members 14:: and 15a. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the rearward portions of liners 14a and 15a are provided respectively with flanges 14b and 155 which are securely attached to rear wall 13 by spot welding. The forward portions of liners Ma and 15a, as indicated in FIG. 6 with respect to liner 15a, may be provided with flanges, such as the flange 15c, which are securely united to their respective side panels by a suitable method, such as spot welding.

While the form of brackets 48 and 49 can be varied, the one illustrated is advantageous. In the form shown, the brackets are angular members having attachment plate sections and 4% which are attached to the respective liner sections by spot welding, as indicated in i i'G. 6, and shown more clearly in FIG. 7. The brackets also provide inwardly-extending attachment sections 48b, 49b. The attachment sections may be provided with openings 48c, 4% to which can be extended attachment bolts St, the bolts respectively extending through openings 52 and 53 in the outer corners of flange 50, as shown in FIG. 4. To provide for support of the casing 23 for the securing of the bolts 51, bracket attachment portions 48b and 49b may be provided with upwardly turned toe portions 48d and 49d.

It will be understood that a suitable burner (not shown) will be provided within the combustion chamber portion of radiator casing 23. Access may be had to the burner and combustion chamber through a removable door 53, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. Preferably, the burner is of the gas-fired type, using a gaseous fuel, such as natural gas or mixtures of propane and butane such as LP gas. One of the important advantages of the present invention is that the gas supply conduit connections to the burner, such as the main gas supply pipe and the pilot conduit, can be made adjacent the mounting of the radiator casing, thereby minimizing any movement of the radiator casing relative to the gas supply connections. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the main gas supply conduit 55 is at one end extending through casing portion 24 for connection to the burner, and the other end connected to a conrol valve assembly 56. A similar conduit connection would be provided from the control valve assembly to the pilot burner. It will be understood that other connections must be made, such as the thermo-couple connection, etc.

To provide a further separation between the flue outlet, including flue tube 27 and flue pipe 32, suitable pipe jacket means may be provided around the flue tube in spaced relation thereto and to the air supply pipe 30 and the transition box 35. As shown in FIG. 2, the pipe jacket means is designated generally by the number 57, and includes a pipe sleeve 58 which is received within the lower end of jacket pipe 59 with a snug sliding fit. The lower end of sleeve pipe 58 is ceilingly connected to the box bottom wall 36 around the flue tube opening 43. To facilitate this connection, bottom wall 36 may be recessed as indicated at so for receiving the lower end of sleeve pipe 58, to provide a hermetic seal, lower end of sleeve pipe 58 can be seam welded to the side Wall of recessed portion es, as indicated in FIG. 2. Since the annular space between jacket means 57' and the flue outlet, including flue tube 27 and flue pipe 32, is intended primarily as a dead air space, it may be desirable to provide a gasket 63. at the lower end of sleeve pipe 58 immediately above opening 43. For example, gasket 61 can be made of asbestos rope.

For ease of fabrication and assembly, preferably all of the pipes or tubes forming the combustion air supply means and the flue outlet means, as well as the jacket means 57, are arranged concentrically. Specifically, this includes the pipes or tubes 28, 32, 58, 59, 39, 33, and 31.

Operation The air flows during the operation of the heater is indicated by the arrows in FIGS. 1 and 2. The room air to be heated enters the louvered opening 18 and flows upwardly around the radiator or heat exchanger 23, being heated as it rises within casing 10, and the heated air is discharged to the room through the louvered opening 20.

As shown in FIG. 2, the combustion air is supplied through the annular passage 61 between the air supply pipe means 33 and the jacket means 57, the combustion air passing into the cross flow space 62, then transition box 35, and then downwardly through the air supply duct section 41, passing into combustion chamber section 24 of radiator casing 23 to the air duct section 45, as shown more clearly in FIG. 1. The hot flue gases flow upwardly through casing 23 from the combustion chamber section 24, and pass into the flue tube 27 for discharge into the flue pipe 32.

It will be understood that air supply pipe 31, jacket pipe 59, and flue pipe 32 will be connected to a suitable roof jack.

In operation, the heater of this invention is extremely quiet, noises due to metal expansion and contraction during heating and cooling cycles being kept to a minimum. Although the air supply duct 34, including the pipe sections 45, 41, and the transition box 35, operate under cooler conditions than the radiator casing 23, and the flue tube 27, the resulting differential expansion does not produce metal distortion or expansion noises. The air supply assembly, including not only the duct section 41 and the transition box 35, but also the pipe means 36), including particularly the connector sleeve 33, can expand upwardly or contract downwardly to whatever extent is required during the heating and cooling cycles by virtue of the slip joint provided by the openings 22 and 43. Similarly, the casing 23 and flue tube 27 can expand and contract as required by virtue of the slip joint 43. Moreover, the expansion and contraction of these various elements can occur while all of the gas and other connections to the combustion chamber section 24 are subjected to a minimum of movement. This insures that the connections such as the gas supply pipe 55 will remain intact and undisturbed during the operation of the heater.

If it is necessary to remove the internal components of the heater, this can be readily done by unscrewing the nuts on the bolts 51. The bolt may be removed while the casing 23 continues to be supported by the brackets 48 and 49, or more particularly by the hook-shaped toe portions 48d and 49a. The entire assembly of the internal components can then be moved upwardly sufdciently by a sliding motion, thereby raising the bottom edge of flange 5t) above the top of the toes 48a and 49d. The whole assembly can then be moved forwardly through the front of casing 10. It will be understood, of course, that these steps will be performed after the removal of the front panel 16, which is normally made readily removable to give access to the interior of the heater as required.

While in the foregoing specification this invention has been described in relation to a specific embodiment thereof and many details have been set forth for purpose of illustration, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is susceptible to other embodiments and that certain of the details described herein can be varied with out departing from the basic principles of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a sealed combustion wall heater, the combination comprising:

(a) vertically-extending enclosure casing means surrounding a room air heating space,

said enclosure casing means including top, side,

rear, and front panel means,

said front panel means having room air inlet means in the lower portion and heated air outlet means in the upper portion,

said top panel means having an opening alignable with a flue connection;

(b) vertically-extending radiator casing means received within said enclosure casing in spaced relation thereto,

the lower portion of said radiator casing providing a combustion chamber and the upper portion having a flue outlet opening;

(c) a flue tube connected to said flue outlet opening,

said iiue tube including an upper vertically-extending section,

said flue tube section extending through said top panel opening;

(d) combustion air supply pipe means receiving and spaced from the upper portion of said flue tube,

said air supply pipe means extending through said top panel opening in slip-free relation to said top panel;

(e) duct means within said enclosure casing extending between the lower end of said air supply pipe means and the lower portion of said radiator casing means for supplying air to said combustion chamber,

said duct means having an upper portion extending around said flue tube section in slip-free relation thereto,

the lower end portion of said duct means being supportingly attached to the lower portion of said radiator casing; and

(t) mounting means extending between said enclosure casing means and said radiator casing means adjacent the lower portion thereof,

said mounting means being carried by said enclosure casing means and being connected to the said radiator casing lower portion for supporting said radiator casing and said duct means.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the top portion of said duct means comprises a horizontally-extending transition box including bottom and top walls, said top wall providing an opening connecting to said air supply pipe means, the rearward portion of said bottom wall providing on opening connecting to a downwardly-extending portion of said duct means, said bottom forwardly of said duct connecting opening providing an opening in vertical alignment with said top wall opening, said flue tube extending through said aligned openings in slip-free relation to said box.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein pipe jacket means is provided around said flue tube in spaced relation thereto and to said air supply pipe, the lower end of said pipe jacket means being sealingly connected to said box bottom wall around said flue tube opening whereby incoming combustion air is sealed from said room air heating space aitho-ugh said flue tube and said box are in slip-free relation.

4. The combination of claim ll wherein the lower portion of said duct means comprises a horizontally-extending pipe section having its forward end attached to said radiator casing lower portion and its rearward end attached to an upwardly-extending portion of said duct means, all of said duct means above said horizontal lower portion being spaced from and unattached. to said radiator casing means, said horizontal lower portion providing the sole support for said duct means.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said mounting means comprises brackets detachably connected to the lower corner portions of said radiator casing means.

6. In a sealed combustion wall heater, the combination comprising:

(a) vertically-extending enclosure casing means sur rounding a room air heating space,

said enclosure casing means including top, side,

rear, and front panel means,

said front panel means having room air inlet means in the lower portion and heated air outlet means in the upper portion,

said top panel means having an opening alignable with a flue connection.

(b) vertically-extending radiator casing means received within said enclosure casing in spaced relation thereto,

the lower portion of said radiator casing providing a combustion chamber and the upper portion having a flue outlet opening; (c) a flue tube connected to said flue outlet opening,

said flue tube including an upper vertically-extending section, said flue tube section extending through said top panel opening;

(d) combustion air supply pipe means receiving and spaced from the upper portion of said flue tube,

said air supply pipe means extending through said top panel opening in slip-free relation to said top panel;

(e) duct means within said enclosure casing extending between the lower end of said air sup-ply pipe means and the lower portion of said radiator casing means for supplying air to said combustion chamber,

the top portion of said duct means comprising a horizontally-extending transition box including bottom and top wall,

said top wall providing an opening connecting to said air supply pipe means,

the rearward portion of said bottom wall providing an opening connecting to a downwardly extending portion of said duct means,

said bottom forwardly of said duct-connecting opening providing an opening in vertical alignment with said top wall opening,

said flue tube extending through said aligned openings in slip-free relation to said box,

the lower portion of said duct means comprising the horizontally-extending pipe section having its forward end attached to said radiator casing lower portion and its rearward end attached to said downwardly-extending portion of said duct means,

all of said duct means above said horizontal lower portion being spaced from and unattached to said radiator casing means,

said horizontal lower portion providing the sole support for said duct means; and

(f) mounting means extending between said enclosure casing means and said radiator casing means adjacent the lower portion thereof,

said mounting means being carried by said enclosure casing means and being connected to the said radiator casing lower portion for supporting said radiator casing and said duct means.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein pipe jacket means is provided around said flue tube in spaced relation thereto and to said air supply pipe, the lower end of said pipe jacket means being sealingly connected to said box bottom wall around said flue tube opening whereby incoming combustion air is sealed from said room air heating space although said flue tube and said box are in slip-free relation.

8. The combination of claim 6 wherein said mounting means comprises brackets detachably connected to the lower corner portions of said radiator casing means.

9. The combination of claim 1 wherein there is also provided gas supply conduit means connected to said radiator casing lower portion adjacent said mounting means.

10. The combination of claim 6 wherein there is also provided gas supply conduit means connected to said radiator casing lower portion adjacent said mounting means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,764,972 10/1956 Ryder l26-85 X 3,082,758 3/1963, Heiman l26-ll6 X 3,211,079 10/1965 Carlson l26-1l6 X JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A SEALED COMBUSTION WALL HEATER, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: (A) VERTICALLY-EXTENDING ENCLOSURE CASING MEANS SURROUNDING A ROOM AIR HEATING SPACE, SAID ENCLOSURE CASING MEANS INCLUDING TOP, SIDE, REAR, AND FRONT PANEL MEANS, SAID FRONT PANEL MEANS HAVING ROOM AIR INLET MEANS IN THE LOWER PORTION AND HEATED AIR OUTLET MEANS IN THE UPPER PORTION, SAID TOP PANEL MEANS HAVING AN OPENING ALIGNABLE WITH A FLUE CONNECTION; (B) VERTICALLY-EXTENDING RADIATOR CASING MEANS RECEIVED WITHIN SAID ENCLOSURE CASING IN SPACED RELATION THERETO, THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID RADIATOR CASING PROVIDING A COMBUSTION CHAMBER AND THE UPPER PORTION HAVING A FLUE OUTLET OPENING; (C) A FLUE TUBE CONNECTED TO SAID FLUE OUTLET OPENING, SAID FLUE TUBE INCLUDING AN UPPER VERTICALLY-EXTENDING SECTION, SAID FLUE TUBE SECTION EXTENDING THROUGH SAID TOP PANEL OPENING; (D) COMBUSTION AIR SUPPLY PIPE MEANS RECEIVING AND SPACED FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID FLUE TUBE, SAID AIR SUPPLY PIPE MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID TOP PANEL OPENING IN SLIP-FREE RELATION TO SAID TOP PANEL; (E) DUCT MEANS WITHIN SAID ENCLOSURE CASING EXTENDING BETWEEN THE LOWER END OF SAID AIR SUPPLY PIPE MEANS AND THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID RADIATOR CASING MEANS FOR SUPPLYING AIR TO SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER, SAID DUCT MEANS HAVING AN UPPER PORTION EXTENDING AROUND SAID FLUE TUBE SECTION IN SLIP-FREE RELATION THERETO, THE LOWER END PORTION OF SAID DUCT MEANS BEING SUPPORTINGLY ATTACHED TO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID RADIATOR CASING; AND (F) MOUNTING MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID ENCLOSURE CASING MEANS AND SAID RADIATOR CASING MEANS ADJACENT THE LOWER PORTION THEREOF, SAID MOUNTING MEANS BEING CARRIED BY SAID ENCLOSURE CASING MEANS AND BEING CONNECTED TO THE SAID RADIATOR CASING LOWER PORTION FOR SUPPORTING SAID RADIATOR CASING AND SAID DUCT MEANS. 